ICG Magazine - January 2024 - Sundance Issue

ORIGIN ∞ AHSOKA ∞ SUNDANCE MIDNIGHT FILMS

J A N UA RY VOL.

95

2 0 24 #01

RICHARD ROEPER

© 2022 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA ASC , FSF, NSC

CONTENTS

THE SUNDANCE ISSUE January 2024 / Vol. 95 No. 01

DEPARTMENTS zoom-in ................ 12 depth of field ................ 14 exposure ................ 18 production credits ................ 70 stop motion .............. 74

SPECIAL Scary Movies .... 60

22

FEATURE 01

CASTE ABOUTS

Matthew J. Lloyd, ASC, travels the world (on a dime) to visualize Ava DuVernay’s indie tour de force, Origin.

FEATURE 02 TRUTH & LEGEND In Ahsoka, Eric Steelberg, ASC, and Quyen Tran, ASC, help visualize the world of one of Star Wars’ most intriguing chracters.

SPECIAL 01 SCARY MOVIES The indie horror genre has had a glorious (and gory) history in Park City; we caught up with some of the ICG DP’s whose work premiered…after midnight.

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

P hoto by Scott Everet t W hi t e

Safety First in 2024

Baird B Steptoe National President International Cinematographers Guild IATSE Local 600

The hope and promise of 2024 is real and right before us. And as we return to work, I want to remind everyone that safety always comes first. I say this in light of a recent unsafe-hours incident in Georgia (not involving a Local 600 member) and to draw attention to our long-standing “Rides and Rooms” program. That option is available to any ICG member who has worked unsafe hours on set and is unable to drive home. The “Rides and Rooms” policy requires a few key actions on the member’s part: inform Production (UPM or AD) about your desire to obtain a “ride or room,” and be sure to obtain a receipt from the ride or room you receive. While the director of photography is not required to approve the ride or room request, it’s always helpful to make the camera department aware before informing Production.

Keeping informed should be top of mind for all Guild members as we head into our upcoming contract negotiations. Our negotiations committee (made up of roughly 30 NEB members from all regions and classifications) recently submitted proposals to the IATSE. Those proposals were based on survey responses, feedback from member meetings, and the many emails the committee received from ICG members.

In preparation for these negotiations, all the committee members attended a five-hour in-person and/or virtual training session hosted by the IATSE’s Training Trust Fund.

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Additionally, Local 80 (Grips) has hosted three separate in-person/virtual town halls, where members from all 13 Hollywood Crafts Locals, as well as IA Locals working under Area Standards Agreements from around the country, were in attendance. Those town halls were for, respectively, on-call workers, production workers, and members who work under the Videotape Agreement. There will be more town halls throughout 2024, including some hosted by Local 600.

What can ICG members do, proactively, leading into contract negotiations?

Reading all e-correspondence from the Guild, staying current with ICG’s weekly newsletter, and looking out for communications from ICG’s Contract Action Team (CAT) are all great places to start. As for our mindsets moving into 2024, I would remind all members to faithfully report their jobs and keep the Guild informed of any safety issues on set, either via ICG’s Safety App or through direct communication with regional Business Representatives. Those interested should also check out the Guild’s member orientations, as well as our On-Set Shop Steward training.

I hope you all are as excited as I am for 2024 to get underway. I can’t wait for this membership to get back to work in full force – safely!

F O R YO U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N A L L CAT E G O R I E S I N C LU D I N G

BEST PICTURE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, ASC

“A HEART-FULL-TO-BURSTING TOUR DE FORCE.

MATTHEW LIBATIQUE SHOOTS WITH A POET’S EYE, SWITCHING FROM COLOR TO BLACK AND WHITE.” Peter Travers,

SCAN HERE TO EXPLORE THE ART OF BOOK

FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM

January 2024 vol. 95 no. 01

Publisher Teresa Muñoz Executive Editor David Geffner Art Director Wes Driver

STAFF WRITER Pauline Rogers

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Tyler Bourdeau

COPY EDITORS Peter Bonilla Maureen Kingsley

CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Martin Derek Stettler Suzanne Tenner

IATSE Local 600 NATIONAL PRESIDENT Baird B Steptoe VICE PRESIDENT Chris Silano 1ST NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Deborah Lipman 2ND NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Mark H. Weingartner NATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER Stephen Wong NATIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY-TREASURER Jamie Silverstein NATIONAL SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Betsy Peoples NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Alex Tonisson

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WIDE ANGLE

I

couldn’t script a better cover story for our January 2024 issue (themed around ICG Magazine’s annual visit to Sundance) than Ava DuVernay’s Origin (page 22), whose “origin story” of its visionary creator is very much a Sundance tale.

For those who don’t know, DuVernay began her career as a publicist, spending many a January trudging through the snow and ice of Park City in a determined effort to shine a light on the same community that now considers her the de facto voice of underrepresented filmmakers. From her Oscar-nominated documentary 13th, about racial inequality in the U.S. prison system, to the recently concluded OWN episodic series Queen Sugar [ICG Magazine October 2022], DuVernay has not only made it her mission to tell stories few (if any) Black female filmmakers have been able to get produced, she has also done it in a way that never lost sight of her indie roots.

Meaning, all of DuVernay’s work – from Selma to The Red Line [ICG Magazine May 2019] – mines a visual and narrative aesthetic that is, for lack of a better description, “totally Sundance.” Traditional cinematic rules are reimagined, and lighting, color, sound, and camera movement are emotional and expressive, reflective of her characters’ challenged place in the world. With Origin, DuVernay wants to push indie filmmaking to its limits. Consider what Local 600 Director of Photography Matthew J. Lloyd, ASC, and longtime union partners like Camera Assistant David Edsall, 2nd Unit Director of Photography Michael “Cambio” Fernandez, and Chief Lighting Technician Mazi Mitchell encountered before production commenced.

“Ava wanted to shoot [entirely union] on 16-millimeter film, in multiple countries around the globe, on an indie budget,” Lloyd recalls.

“My first reaction about shooting film was: ‘That sounds great. For what part?’ I assumed it would be a stylistic choice to visually place the historical scenes in the past. But she wanted the whole thing shot in 16 millimeter so there was one visual aesthetic to connect the different storylines.”

Origin is based on Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson’s best-selling book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents. It documents Wilkerson’s (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) personal journey around the globe to uncover how caste lies at the

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root of racism and oppression. For its layered storylines, Edsall put together “one of the most robust film stock/lens tests” Lloyd had ever done. That included every available spherical 16 lens, every specialty lens Keslow Camera had: coated, uncoated, anamorphic 16, and different photochemical processes: pushing, pulling, overexposure and underexposure, on all the 16-millimeter stocks. “The letters AC should stand for ‘assistant cinematographer,’” Lloyd describes, “as Dave is incredibly knowledgeable about every permutation of the film process and was a full partner on this movie.” Mitchell was equally creative in his use of practical lighting. “Most productions would use LED fixtures in domes for the interior lighting, but we kept it old school and used real covered wagons,” Mitchell relates. “One of the unexpected joys of working exclusively with tungsten lighting again was being able to teach the lighting crew about how to work with the traditional fixtures they hadn’t ever used!”

Drawing from the past (to reinvent the present) was also a big part of the latest Star Wars episodic Ahsoka (page 38), shot by Eric Steelberg, ASC, and Quyen Tran, ASC, both of whom have deep Sundance ties. Steelberg’s first feature, Quinceañera, won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in Park City in 2006, while Tran (who began her career as a photojournalist) has had multiple Sundance premieres over the years, including The Little Hours (2017), Deidra & Laney Rob a Train (2017) and Palm Springs (2020).

Both were happily surprised by Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni’s desire to lean into the filmmaking of Akira Kurosawa as well as into the original trilogy, where, Steelberg observes, “George Lucas and his cinematographers left everything wide, and [used] very choreographed camera work through moving and developing masters. Even the close-ups on those films weren’t shot with telephoto lenses, which is great because you can keep that wider field of view behind the actors.”

Finally, be sure to check out our story on a history of low-budget indie horror films at Sundance (Scary Movies, page 60). You’ll hear how Guild DP’s Pawel Pogorzelski; David Klein, ASC; Byron Werner; David McFarland; Elisha Christian and Paul Ozgur all brought a freedom and spirit of experimentation that not only has defined the Sundance Film Festival (now celebrating its fortieth year) but has always encouraged union filmmakers to reach for their best creative selves.

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Suzanne Tenner Truth & Legend, Stop Motion What an extraordinary experience it was to have been a part of the Ahsoka shoot. As a photographer, every day brought moments of pure pleasure, a feast of beauty waiting to be captured.

This shot is of me in a little nook on stage between takes.”

Derek Stettler Caste Abouts “Origin is a film that left a lingering emotional impact long after I saw it. It was quite meaningful for me to have the opportunity to speak with the filmmakers and learn firsthand how they challenged traditional hierarchies and put their hearts and souls into crafting this important narrative. Being able to share the details of how they executed such an ambitious indie production was both inspiring and educational for me as a writer. I’m honored to give readers a glimpse into the passion and commitment that went into manifesting director Ava DuVernay’s vision.”

ORIGIN ∞ AHSOKA ∞ SUNDANCE MIDNIGHT FILMS

David Geffner Executive Editor

Email: david@icgmagazine.com J A N UA RY VOL.

95

2 0 24 #01

Cover photo by Atsushi Nishijima

ZOOM-IN

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BEKA VENEZIA CAMERA OPERATOR

BY PAULINE ROGERS PHOTO COURTESY OF BEKA VENEZIA

Growing up in Orlando, FL, her uncle’s work with a stereograph camera hooked Beka Venezia on photography. Her high school video production classes and watching movies when independent filmmaking was at its height in the 1990s showed Venezia how fun and exciting shooting could be. “My first year in college at the University of Central Florida, I happened to see a flier looking for a P.A. on an indie film,” the New York-based operator recalls. “I remember the first day on set thinking, Yes!” A transition from theater to film was frustrating, as Venezia recalls how “we had to work in various roles on a real production. I kept applying for a camera position, and the jobs always went to the male students.”

A move to Chicago to finish her degree at Columbia College changed everything. A friend, Rebecca Gardner, started bringing Venezia on as an assistant and teaching her the ropes. That and an internship at Panavision cemented Venezia’s desire.

It didn’t take long after she moved to New York to get a job on her first union film. “Watching 2nd AC Jen Koestler on Men in Black II was an education,” she recounts. “I wanted to be like her.”

Venezia loved loading film with mentors that included Zoran Veselic, Eric Swanek, and Bobby Mancuso, and later moving on to 2nd AC for Gregor Tavenner and Baz Idoine, ASC. Swanek’s attention to detail left a lasting impression on her.

“I remember working on a film called Birth,” Venezia describes. “We were on the stage shooting one day, well into the production. I had one of those darkrooms that was like a closet you could roll around the studio. I had spent the morning re-blacking-out the light leaks. Later, I went in to reload a mag, and you get into such a routine of shutting and locking the door, pulling the chain to shut the light, and then reloading. One time, I shut the door, locked it, and then pulled down this duvetyn flap I had just put up to fix a light leak, turned around, and opened the mag. I was like, something looks different. I quickly

closed the mag and got sick. You aren’t supposed to see the film! I had to go out and tell Eric I flashed the mag. He reached out and shook my hand and said, ‘Now you are a real assistant.’ It wasn’t because I had flashed the mag, but rather that I took responsibility immediately for my error. Of course, I had to tell [Director of Photography] Harris Savides. But I got lucky there – it was a scene they stopped shooting because they would rewrite.”

With the advent of digital capture, gone are the days of frantic magazine flipping, racing against a 750-foot take having to reload, and short ends with two cameras and only six 1000-foot mags, two loaded with daylight film. Though now in the past, those high-pressure moments still evoke a bittersweet sentiment for Venezia. Reflecting on the intensity, she emphasizes the value of a healthy fear – a driving force for excellence in one’s role.

As she moved up through the ranks, Venezia cites a B-Camera operating job with Director of Photography Manuel Billeter, their first together, that had a significant influence. “He has a great eye and understands the art of storytelling,” she enthuses. “I learned so much working B-Camera on Cat Person.

I loved that I had the space to offer up shots and look for interesting frames. When my camera wasn’t working, I always watched what A-camera was doing and how he was lighting. The technical conversations are so educational.”

“Even though Beka was a household name in the New York camera department world for a long time, our paths had never crossed,” Billeter explains.

“Her name came up, so I reached out to her over the phone and asked if she had any work that she had done before that she would or could share with me, and she directed me to her photography website. I was impressed and immediately convinced she was the right person to add to our team – her subtle sensibilities and bold compositions resonated. They also echoed the visual language of the film we were

about to shoot. I knew that Beka’s eye, instincts, and personable nature would be a great asset – and she lived up to it. I was lucky to have her on my second camera – as she very independently and creatively produced original and evocative compositions.”

Venezia says she’s lucky as well, moving between indie features like Cat Person and larger-budgeted projects. And while she says the indie world can be “challenging and sometimes frustrating because of budget limitation, it feels like there is more space for input and being part of the creative process.

“I worked with Robert Elswit [ASC] when he won the Oscar for There Will Be Blood,” she continues.

“During his celebration party, his college roommate shared an interesting detail from their time in film school. Robert used to put a crosshair on their TV to study composition. This practice has stuck with me, and I occasionally find myself adopting the same technique to gain insights into framing when watching films.”

With both work stoppages over, Venezia says she’s excited to get back to work, not the least of which because, she observes, “things have changed on set. There are more women these days. But there can still be a lack of trust that we can do the job.

You know we had an operating course recently put together by our women’s committee, and it was a beautiful event. A room full of women operators to share knowledge, support each other, and provide a space to ask questions freely. No egos.

“We all needed a workshop like that,” she concludes. “And I just don’t know when we would ever get the chance to do it. When I was coming up, I only knew one female operator – Susan Starr.

Seventeen years into my career, I operated B-Camera on Orange Is the New Black, and Rebecca Arndt was on A-Camera. That was the coolest thing to see.

Two female operators sitting side-by-side on their cameras on the same show. I’m extremely grateful for [Director of Photography] Ludovic Littee, who gave us both the opportunity.”

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LA RECOVERY CONNECT

BY PAULINE ROGERS PHOTOS COURTESY OF LA RECOVERY CONNECT

Local 600 Unit Still Photographer Tyler Golden and his documentary filmmaker wife, Thea Golden, have found a powerful way to, in their words, “empower underserved people impacted by alcohol and substance use in Los Angeles to maintain their recovery.” It’s called LA Recovery Connect (LARC), with a mission to provide housing and supportive services that foster self-confidence and build healthy connections for people in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse.

The idea grew from Thea Golden’s first film with Director John Chester, Lost in Woonsocket, which introduced her to recovery and connected her to mentors nationwide. She took the completed project

on a three-month-long journey, which helped Golden face her and her family’s recovery and led her to become a Recovery Coach. Upon her return, and with the help of several friends, the Goldens decided to continue the work at home.

Today, they have an ADU behind their home that houses two people in recovery trying to get their lives on track. They host weekly peer-to-peer All Recovery Meetings to share different issues freely, as well as bi-weekly “Open Spaces” hikes, some of which have been led by IATSE members. Union members Phil Mastrella and Colin Brown recently attended one of LARC’s Overdose Response and Naloxone Trainings, one of their education programs. And, once a year,

they throw a fun “Headshots & Tacos” event where Local 600 still photographers donate their time and talents to take photos and raise funds.

“We take this very seriously,” describes Tyler Golden. “Our attendees and supporters come from all walks of life, from our neighborhood, from those in the industry we encounter on set, or from community partners.” Golden says people will often find LARC online, “and that first connection is a big deal,” he continues “People are scared. They ask about meetings. Sometimes meetings are too much for them, and we try to find other ways to support and keep that connection.”

As Thea Golden adds: “We start by inviting someone to join us as we gather around the fire.

We have a small, kind crew here every Thursday night, and our meeting is led by a peer who picks a recovery topic. ‘We’d love to have you join,’ she will say. “If that isn’t for you, we hold a Breathwork Session on Saturdays. This is a chance to use your breath to move stuck energy and do some healing with the help of music.’”

One of the significant differences from other recovery groups is that LARC is open to embracing multiple types of pathways to recovery and a healthier life. “We have group agreements, a short grounding exercise, and then we share a recovery topic for the night,” Tyler Golden explains. “We discuss shame, boundaries, bearing light, relationships, and grief.

Everyone is allowed to share on the topic. Feedback is allowed if it is wanted. Those who attend are from every level of recovery, every walk of life – and we even welcome family and friends.”

Local 600 Unit Still Photographer Sean Rosenthal, who says he “values therapy of all sorts,” recently attended one of the meetings. “With times being tough with work, it has also led to a point where I can’t afford a personal therapist,” Rosenthal adds. “So, I usually attend community group meetings to keep myself in check. LA Recovery’s open format was welcoming, and I’m sure to return.”

LARC’s “Open Spaces” hikes take their meetings out into nature, giving people a different perspective on recovery – and what life can be.

Not too long ago, the Goldens partnered with Sheila Scott of Lukelove Foundation to boost the education arm of their organization. Sheila’s son Luke died of an overdose while filming Wheelman in Boston. Lukelove was given its platform when Billy Bob Thornton ended his 74th Golden Globe acceptance speech with, “On a more serious note,” he was accepting the award in memory of Luke Scott, “a PA on Goliath who left us this past year.” Together LARC and Lukelove created an Overdose Response and Naloxone Training, which has already saved lives in the community, as volunteers work tirelessly to get naloxone (a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids – including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications – when given in time) into every corner of society. “Even though there can be drug use in the industry to cope with the pressure of work, getting naloxone on sets still eludes us,” Tyler Golden explains. (CONT’D ON PAGE 16)

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TOP LEFT: TYLER GOLDEN PHOTOGRAPHING LOCAL 600 MEMBER GREG GAYNE AND HIS FAMILY AT HEADSHOTS AND TACOS FUNDRAISER TOP RIGHT: LA RECOVERY CONNECT FOUNDERS THEA AND TYLER GOLDEN LEFT: LUKELOVE FOUNDATION'S SHEILA SCOTT LEADING OVERDOSE RESPONSE AND NALOXONE TRAINING

Since partnering with Scott, the Goldens have pushed to bring light to this critical issue. “We partner with groups, treatment centers, schools and organizations across L.A. to build a battalion of people who feel empowered to recognize and respond to an overdose and use naloxone,” explains Tyler Golden. “In our training, we touch on today’s drug landscape, the truths, the myths, and the laws, and we do this engagingly as peers.”

Naloxone is now available over-the-counter nationwide, so anyone can buy it at a pharmacy for $44.95. The problem is that the cost can be prohibitive and a barrier for most people who need this life-saving medicine. LARC and Lukelove receive free naloxone through the California Department of Health Care Services’ Naloxone

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Distribution Project.

“With funds raised by our nonprofits, we create naloxone kits to give out free to anyone who attends our training,” says Thea Golden. “We’ve also created a Naloxone Battalion of empowered teens who spread the knowledge to their peers.”

As for fundraising in the always challenging nonprofit world, LARC holds its annual “Headshots & Tacos” event every year. The organization brings together its community of supporters for networking, conversations, and professional headshots by Local 600 Unit Still Photographers like Greg Gayne, Patrick Wymore, Mike Taing, Lara Solanki, Tobin Yelland, Kim Alexis and more.

Gayne can’t say enough about his long-time friends, the Goldens, and their “altruistic and

generous nature that shines through in all they do, consistently prioritizing the well-being of others.” He says what sets LARC apart from similar organizations is how it “engages and educates its community members and the public. One of their goals is to put a positive face and voice on recovery,” Gayne explains. “They do more than help the individual; they rally the whole community to support, understand, and lead with love.

“So many people with substance use disorder fall through the cracks because they don’t subscribe to a certain way of recovery support,” Gayne concludes.

“A recovery community organization like LARC looks at the whole person when providing support. The idea is to start with a safe space and connect people to resources that work for them.”

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EXPOSURE

DOUG CHIANG PRODUCTION DESIGNER, AHSOKA , SVP AND EXECUTIVE DESIGN DIRECTOR, LUCASFILM

BY KEVIN H. MARTIN PHOTOS BY NICOLA GOODE, SMPSP/ LUCASFILM LTD.

Doug Chiang’s design work for film, television, gaming, and theme parks has encompassed a wide variety of fantastic subjects. The current vice president and creative director at Industrial Light & Magic got his start in the VFX industry at Rhythm & Hues and Digital Productions, even landing a stopmotion animation gig at Pee Wee’s Playhouse. After joining ILM as a concept artist, Chiang went on to serve as VFX Art Director on Ghost, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Death Becomes Her, winning an Oscar for the latter. Chiang’s design work for that Robert Zemeckis comedy ranged from the horrific – and the horrifically funny – to the sublime. Some of his unused concepts – like Goldie Hawn’s grotesquely charred spine showing through a cannonball-sized shotgun blast to her torso – evinced a keen level of research in attention to anatomical detail; other designs were subtler, such as the fleetingly-glimpsed spirit-cum-nymph forms swimming within a vial of immortality serum before Meryl Streep’s character imbibes from it. Chiang was selected by George Lucas to head up the art department on the Star Wars prequels, essentially taking on an expanded version of the role artist Ralph McQuarrie had filled on the original trilogy. This involved visualizing the famous “far away galaxy” on a scale of magnitudes beyond what was glimpsed in the original trilogy, including creatures, spaceships, and world-building.

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EXPOSURE

Chiang later re-teamed with Zemeckis, acting as production designer on a series of mocap-driven features before returning to LucasFilm, where for the last decade he’s worked on all of the Star Wars feature films, SW gaming design, and even Galaxy’s Edge at Disney theme parks. More recently Chiang has been a primary creative force for the Volumedriven SW episodics, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. As one of ILM’s go-to resources for all things Star Wars, one might conjecture Chiang could be tired of repeating the process, but he declares that, “Even now I still don’t have all the answers, which is part of what makes this such a fun exploration. We’re only just figuring out that what really makes lightsabers look Star Wars is including a white core within the colored glow!”

ICG: Was it at all daunting when you were asked to do the Star Wars prequels, knowing the level of artistry that had gone into the original trilogy?

Doug Chiang: There was definitely that feeling. I grew up admiring the drawings of Ralph McQuarrie and [effects illustrator and designer] Joe Johnston, but the very first day working with George, he threw me when he said we should try a new aesthetic. He wanted to ground this universe in a design timeline that actually mirrored our own design timeline, so this earlier time revealed a more hand-crafted approach throughout, which differed greatly from the way the first films had a manufactured and used look to things. Going more elegant terrified me, but at the same time, it got down to the roots of Star

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Wars design. It gave me a lot of freedom yet it had to dovetail into what we’d seen in the originals.

A comparison might be glamorous old studiobound Hollywood in the prequels and a grungier shot-on-location period in the originals. The technology in the first films was based on 1970s technology, which was old computer keyboards and lots of cables. But then you have more exotic technologies in the form of holograms, spaceships and droids. Mixing and matching those things made a lot of sense, just as making distinctions from the contemporary did, such as no zippers or buttons.

That oddity differentiates things so they feel both familiar and different. It was only after working with George for several years that I got a clearer idea of the logic behind his approach, which is unique to my mind. One of the critical aspects when designing for Star Wars was grounding it in some sense of reality, giving it a layer of authenticity. In many ways, this reflects George’s personal view of the films, which is that they aren’t science fiction – they’re historical dramas, where he is taking a documentary-filmmaker look at these worlds. That took us a full year of worldbuilding and development, and then he took elements from that for use in his story.

Is the idea behind the recent Star Wars episodics to be straddling the design aesthetics evoked in the various film trilogies? That’s something we’re always mindful of. Ahsoka takes place after the original trilogy, so that design criteria are the ones

I keep most focused on. This also fits with what [showrunner] Dave Filoni wants to see, as he had already developed ideas about how things would look on Ahsoka. The casual fan may not notice our continuity with the established no-button look, but those subtle variations from our real world build up a subconscious feeling of this being another realm.

That makes all the difference. George never wanted anything – be it a droid, spaceship, or some set – to be designed out of thin air. We wanted designs that would be timeless, and that is why when you look at the originals, things still hold up.

You were involved in designing Star Wars videogames as well as Galaxy’s Edge at the theme parks. How different were those experiences from the features? George loves to build the world first, even ahead of the story. That’s why the art department gets started first, designing worlds and societies. We do a lot of homework in support of this approach because I think if we were inauthentic, the audience would feel that. That means we overdesign too; I’d guess 80 to 90 percent of what we design is not seen on screen. But there’s a rationale behind our work, and I can explain to you exactly why something is a certain way, which helps make the whole thing more credible.

The design process remains the same, whether for a film, a series, a game, or a theme park, though the results are rather different. Game design has to be connected, so the various sets have to fit together and make sense. Having done our homework, this was possible to achieve, even though in real life, the interior

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“ DAVE FILONI AND I BOTH GREW UP THROUGH THE GEORGE LUCAS FILM AND ART SCHOOL...WHICH MAKES THE QUESTION, ‘WOULD GEORGE LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING?’ A SIGNIFICANT ONE SINCE WE’RE STILL BEING CHALLENGED BY HOW TO CONFORM WITH AND EXPAND THESE DESIGN CRITERIA.”

of the Millennium Falcon didn’t really match with the practical mockup seen in exterior views. But while movie audiences didn’t see or care about that, when we designed Galaxy’s Edge, we had to go in and break things down so all the pieces did fit together, since the audience would be walking aboard her and gaming.

It’s an unguided experience, which requires much the same need for completeness.

Has that sense of completeness carried over from the gaming and parks to the episodics? On The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, we have made a conscious effort to build sets that you would be able to walk right into and back out of. We’re able to do this because we scout all of our sets virtually, and that keeps us honest, having to make sure things actually work.

That’s not to say we won’t chop something up to get the shot we want, but there’s a sense of integrity underpinning it all. And I really have to give thanks to Jon Favreau for acknowledging [via the end-credit visuals] the art department and all the work we do.

When we did our first season, people asked, “Why don’t you just repaint the finished [film] frames?” No, you don’t understand. Those paintings were done a year and a half before filming! The adherence to those designs speaks to the level of fidelity once Jon or Dave approves them. That’s such a contrast from the more traditional pre-Stagecraft approach, which would be to get the designs to a certain level, but then know that refining them wouldn’t have to happen till postproduction, when the VFX were done. With the filmmakers buying off fully on designs

early on to get the backgrounds generated in time for playback during shooting, you have a different creative paradigm at work, one that can make for a very efficient process, making the most of the budget and time on set.

You share design credit on Ahsoka with Andrew L. Jones. How does the division of labor work? I get started very early in the process – typically our prep schedule is 30 to 32 weeks. So, I’m there some weeks ahead of Andrew. But as soon as we start getting pages, we begin a collaboration as a process of divide-and-conquer, because we’re really having to do two-and-a-half feature films’ worth of content in just two-thirds the time. We abide by those ground rules for the aesthetic, but then he and I work out how to execute that given the time and money available. He is brilliant at that and with his work on virtual scouts and with the virtual art department. We work straight through to shooting to determine what gets physically built and how the final look will be executed.

When introducing a new spaceship, are the influences mainly coming from what has been seen previously, or can you sometimes draw on random shapes, like the streetlight outside? [Laughing] There are some very specific guidelines, but we have the freedom to explore gray areas on the boundaries of those looks. I find the designs that make me feel most uncomfortable can turn out to be very exciting.

But if you push too far, it can become something else, something not Star Wars. But if you don’t push

at all and just repeat what has been done, you’re not being true to it, because this [franchise] always has a component of the new to it. A wonderful example goes back to when I first worked with George. I was playing it pretty conservatively, and he was the one pushing things so far. That’s why [in The Phantom Menace] you see a chrome starship and the brightly-colored Naboo starfighter. It speaks to the level of risk he was willing to take, and I see that same sensibility in both Jon and Dave. Dave and I both grew up through the George Lucas film and art school, so we understand this philosophy. With that understanding between the two of us, it makes the question, “Would George like what we are doing?” a significant one since we’re still being challenged by how to conform with and expand these design criteria.

The Mandalorian’s Razor Crest would be a good example of that since it has some of the junk-ship aspects of the Millennium Falcon plus a distinctive silhouette. Jon wanted a real workhorse of a ship for Mando to fly, something found in a surplus store and then hot-rodded into something special. I try to treat vehicle designs like a character, giving the ship some sense of personality that ties into that of the person driving it. So, this had to convey an old-school, seatof-the-pants flying kind of construction. Jon liked the look of power in the A-10 Warthog [the USAF’s Fairchild Republic Thunderbolt II attack aircraft] with those two rear engines. The front end has the aesthetic of a World War Two bomber, suggesting an older or decommissioned ship. By massaging these two aspects until they fit, and adding the shiny metal aspect that ties into Mando’s Beskar armor, it all feels like it belongs in the same package.

You’ve created some extremely memorable alien characters, including Grogu [aka Baby Yoda].

How much thought goes into whether these creations are going to be handled as animatronics, prosthetic makeups, CGI, or some combination of these techniques? The main key up front is to capture the personality and feel that it all works. After approval, then we think about practical approaches.

Though there aren’t any true restrictions on what can be accomplished these days, we make a conscious effort to restrict ourselves on designs. To make this feel old-school Star Wars, we do try to use older techniques, not only because they work but because there is a charm to them. Stop-motion has an oldschool charm, but the sensibility and look may not be as pleasing to younger modern audiences, but there’s room for different approaches. Grogu could have been a 100-percent digital character because CGI is just that good now, but we really felt that using a solution like Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back was a better way to go, because of the qualities coming from the human puppeteer performance, which is hard to replicate in CG. On Ahsoka, we have some bold new visuals, such as the CG space whales. Fans of the original films may not understand what they are, but they do fit within established conventions. I think part of the appeal of Star Wars design is to get viewers wondering, “What was that in the corner of the frame? I want to know more.” That really helps build out the world.

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CASTE Matthew J. Lloyd, ASC, travels the world (on a dime) to visualize Ava DuVernay’s indie tour de force, Origin.

BY DEREK STETTLER ∞ PHOTOS BY ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA / ARRAY FILMWORKS

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How do you adapt one of the most praised nonfiction books of contemporary times into a poignant indie feature that reveals how centuries of injustices around the world are all connected? For WriterDirector Ava DuVernay [ICG Magazine February/March 2018], part of the answer was to turn to a trusted team of talented collaborators – including Director of Photography Matthew J. Lloyd, ASC, Camera Assistant David Edsall, and 2nd Unit Director of Photography Michael “Cambio” Fernandez – to join the filmmaker on a globe-hopping journey that would push the boundaries of their traditional roles. The resulting project, Origin, is a fully independent (and fully union) feature, shot entirely on 16mm Kodak film in multiple countries and cities. It is based on the best-selling book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents, written by Pulitzer Prizewinner Isabel Wilkerson. Origin premiered in competition at the 80th Venice Film Festival.

It is based on the true-life story of Wilkerson (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), a scholar, journalist, and author, who, grieving from tragic personal loss, embarks on a journey across the world to uncover how caste lays at the root of racism and oppression everywhere.

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hile Origin marks the third collaboration between Lloyd and DuVernay, it’s their first feature together. Lloyd was DuVernay’s first choice for DP, and she approached him shortly after the book was released and nearly 18 months before a script was ready. Enamored with the look and texture of 16mm film, she asked Lloyd early on about the capture media.“My immediate reaction was to say, ‘That’s great. For what part?’” Lloyd laughs. “I assumed it would be a stylistic choice to visually place the historical scenes in the past.” However, DuVernay wanted to shoot the entire movie on 16 mm to maintain a consistent visual identity and reinforce the film’s thesis. “In thinking about the visualization,” DuVernay explains, “it was quickly clear that it needed to be a singular aesthetic to connect the storylines.

“One of the things that was a big part of the puzzle,” she adds, “was making sure everything felt connected. So, we decided early on that we were not going to do sepia tones for the past, or a hypercontrasty look for India. We were going to set a look and have that look communicate the premise of the book.” DuVernay had always wanted to shoot on film, and with Origin she had the opportunity. Edsall notes that “sixteen millimeter turned out to be a perfect format, because there were a lot of long takes, and the cameras are smaller and lighter.”

Before leaving for scouting trips, Lloyd proposed bringing a camera to capture the locations on film.

“I think it’s great to be able to film during scouting, just to inform how spaces look naturally,” he shares.

“Photos are nice, but they’re so malleable at this point.” Edsall (who customized vintage broadcast tube cameras for HBO’s Winning Time – ICG Magazine April 2022) outfitted Lloyd with an ARRI 416 package paired with a 6.6-to-66-mm Canon zoom lens, so he could test each stock in each country.

They returned with some 20,000 feet of film, which proved invaluable “just to get used to the idea of how film works, how the spaces look naturally, how the camera works as an informal introduction to the workflow of motion-picture film for Ava,” Lloyd recalls. The team then met with colorist Tom Poole at Company 3 to review the footage, with DuVernay so pleased with the results, her commitment to 16 mm was cemented.

Lloyd and Edsall’s collaboration goes back nearly two decades, with their collaboration so tight, Lloyd says the classification “AC” should really stand for “Assistant Cinematographer.” Reflecting on that praise, Edsall says: “For me, the key to filmmaking is actively listening, paying attention, and doing whatever you can to contribute to the director’s vision.” Before cameras rolled on set, Edsall put together one of the most “robust stock and lens tests I’ve done in recent times,” Lloyd offers. “We tested every available spherical 16 lens, every specialty lens that Keslow had: coated, uncoated, anamorphic 16, and different photochemical processes, pushing, pulling, overexposure, underexposure, on all the 16-millimeter

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stocks. Dave is so incredibly knowledgeable about every permutation of the film process that we could put together these comprehensive tests for Ava to see.

[The Cooke S4 lenses soon became a clear favorite of DuVernay’s.] He was truly a full partner on this movie.”

Shooting in 16mm with the superior close focus ability, greater depth of field, and faster speeds of spherical lenses suited Du Vernay’s preference for an organic process of discovery. “It’s filmmaking that feels like music being conducted,” describes Lloyd.

“Ava stages the scene, not going in for isolated pieces but moving through it all. And that’s why she works so well with two cameras, because when one thing falls apart, she can catch it with the other camera and is almost editing on the fly.” To achieve that goal, Lloyd had both cameras mobile, with one leaning wider – at 6-, 12-, and 14-mm focal lengths – and the other typically capturing longer focal lengths.

Lloyd says the core of the film’s look comes out of a tradition of naturalistic street photography. He references a quote from Director Robert Benton to Director of Photography Jean-Yves Escoffier: “This movie should look like a handwritten letter to a friend.”

Lloyd says that thought helped him and DuVernay craft Origin in a way that prioritized authenticity, without a reliance on overly photographic techniques (like filtration or optics) and without pushing the look in the grade. One notable departure from that ethos, however, was the use of the 58mm Petzval lens for several shots, including the beginning of the romance between Isabel and her husband. “Ava was struck by the effects of it during testing, and I think because in 16 millimeter, you’re only using the best part of that lens, the effect is more subtle,” describes Lloyd. As Edsall adds: “Whenever we wanted to capture a character in a beautiful portrait, we almost always shot it with this Petzval lens. In 16 millimeter it creates this magnificent image with tremendous focus fall-off and [that is] very pleasing on faces.”

Lloyd’s overall approach to lighting is best encapsulated by another quote, this one often attributed to him: “Lighting can’t be convenient or it doesn’t look real; it has to struggle to get to the scene somehow. So, we’re very often bouncing it off of stuff, skipping it off the ground, and using angles that are not obvious,” he explains. To that end, Chief Lighting Technician Mazi Mitchell focused on creating shaped soft light and built covered wagons with 75-, 150-, and 250-watt incandescent bulbs, used for interiors to emulate light motivated by practicals.

“Origin’s lighting was centered around cool exteriors and warm interiors based on practicals,” Mitchell recounts. “Today, most productions would use LED fixtures in domes for the interior lighting, but we kept it old school and used real covered wagons.” Mitchell recalls one of the unexpected joys of working exclusively with tungsten lighting again was being able to teach the lighting crew about how to work with the traditional fixtures they hadn’t ever used! “At this stage in my career, lighting is second nature, so being able to teach the younger guys keeps me very engaged and motivated,” he adds. That

“IT’S FILMMAKING THAT FEELS LIKE MUSIC BEING CONDUCTED. AVA STAGES THE SCENE, NOT GOING IN FOR ISOLATED PIECES BUT MOVING THROUGH IT ALL.” MATTHEW J. LLOYD, ASC

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AFTER 37 DAYS OF FILMING, ACROSS FOUR CITIES IN THREE COUNTRIES, NEARLY 400,000 FEET OF PROCESSED NEGATIVES HAD BEEN SCANNED TO 2K 16-BIT DPX FILES IN FILMLOG COLORSPACE. AND SENT TO COLORIST TOM POOLE FOR THE FINAL GRADE, WHO SAYS HIS INTENT WAS “BASED ON STAYING TRUE TO AN AUTHENTIC PHOTOCHEMICAL LOOK WITH A FILM PRINT AESTHETIC.”

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in that scene.” The production leaned away from elevated lights throughout filming, with the one exception being the book-burning sequence in Berlin that necessitated cranes, given location requirements.

“A BIG PART OF THE PUZZLE, WAS MAKING SURE EVERYTHING FELT CONNECTED...WE WERE GOING TO SET A LOOK AND HAVE THAT LOOK COMMUNICATE THE PREMISE OF THE BOOK.” DIRECTOR AVA DUVERNAY

meant Lloyd and Mitchell eschewed LED’s throughout Origin, partly because Lloyd wanted the predictable film response to traditional fixtures. Also, for practical reasons, the choice of HMI and tungsten fixtures was necessary given that shooting day interiors on film in the middle of winter meant large amounts of night-for-day lighting.

It being several years since Lloyd last worked in 16 mm, his preconceptions were challenged during testing. He says he was surprised to discover the modern Kodak Vision3 emulsion to be so fine-grained and high resolution that “today’s 16 mm looks like what we remember 35 mm looking like growing up. In many ways, it is the most traditionally ‘filmic’ of the film stocks available today.”

After thorough testing at Keslow Camera in Los Angeles, the team settled on a package comprising the ARRI 416, Cooke S4 lenses, and Kodak 7219 500T and 7207 250D stock.

“It quickly became clear that we couldn’t use the 50D stock because it honestly just looked too clean,” Lloyd remembers. “The fact that the technology in the 16-millimeter format

can look that solid from a grain-structure perspective is remarkable to me.” The 250D was pushed one stop throughout the film, with the 500T processed normally, apart from two exceptions – the Trayvon Martin murder sequence, which was shot on 500T and pushed a stop, and a dance sequence at a bar in Berlin, which was shot on 200T and pushed one stop, with both rated normally.

The Trayvon Martin sequence was also notable for the massive amount of lighting Mitchell and his team put together, replacing every LED streetlamp throughout the neighborhood with 1K tungsten PAR 64 bulbs, as well as strategically placing dichroic bulbs in some streetlamps to replicate the typical variance in color casts between lamps as they get swapped out over time. Mitchell also added additional 1K and 2K open-face lights placed amidst the homes along the street and twelvelight Maxi Brutes that raked the background and the street. The entire lighting job took four days to complete. “Ava wanted everything to be motivated, natural-looking, and practical,” recalls Lloyd. “So, we didn’t use any Condors

Though Origin began as a studio picture, its transition to an indie feature allowed the filmmakers to work on their terms. One example was the Nazi book-burning scene in Bebelplatz, in Berlin – the same location where true historical events took place, with real books being burned in a massive fire that soared 30 feet in the air. It was the first time filmmakers had been permitted to shoot at the location, and it was the most meticulously planned sequence of the movie – as well as the most technically challenging to capture.

The scene was also a prime example of the skill and teamwork required to navigate the constraints of an indie budget – the pivotal moment was originally scheduled to be shot over the course of two nights but had to be reduced to a single night of filming. Edsall took light meter readings during the long takes, as the light levels from the fire fluctuated with distance, camera angle, and time; 2nd Unit DP Fernandez [ICG Magazine April 2022] rode the iris in response to Edsall’s readings.

Edsall also notes that the scene was the only time Steadicam was used in the whole film.

Despite the intensity of both the subject matter and shooting process, he says “it went surprisingly smoothly, even though it started raining halfway through. The local German crew was phenomenal, and we got everything Ava wanted. We even wrapped before the sun came up.”

In keeping with her commitment to Origin’s thesis, DuVernay sought to challenge the hierarchies foundational to the filmmaking process, which can often diminish the significance of certain roles compared to others. “Caste is embedded in the moviemaking process, and we take it as a given,” Du Vernay states. “It’s not dissimilar from the way it functions in society. We’re born into it. Exploring these ideas narratively, it felt disingenuous not to try to engage with them in our actual process.”

Each department accepted the challenge in different ways. With Lloyd’s leadership, the camera department embraced the notion of subverting the tradition of caste in the crew.

For example, there were no A and B cameras.

Instead, they were referred to as East and West.

The objective was to generate visuals using multiple cameras that carried equal weight, while still cutting together cohesively. Lloyd and Fernandez collaborated on every setup to establish an environment where no shot felt relegated to a B-Camera angle or 2nd Unit status. “Ava was adamant about having us both be DP’s behind the camera; we had to have our

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own eye and be able to expose our own film,” Fernandez recounts. “It was a beautiful dance that Ava, Matt, and I were dancing the whole film.”

“I think it elevated everybody,” Lloyd adds.

“It felt like we were a united group of people evenly contributing to the same cause without some people being more important than others.” Rather than using traditional shot lists or storyboards, DuVernay and Lloyd centered their approach around “anchor images” that encapsulated the essence of a scene. They built coverage around these images, organically, using both cameras as equals. Lloyd and Fernandez operated in tandem on nearly every take, favoring cross-coverage for dialog scenes and minimal takes, with Edsall making adjustments to help achieve consistency between the two cameras.

What of the post process for a project shot entirely on 16mm film in several different countries? Lloyd explains that after 37 days of filming, across four cities in three countries, “nearly 400,000 feet of processed negatives had been scanned to 2K 16-bit DPX files in FilmLog Colorspace” on LaserGraphics Scan Stations at Kodak Film Labs in Atlanta, London and Mumbai and sent to Tom Poole for the final grade. Poole says his intention with Origin’s grading was “based on staying true to an authentic photochemical look with a film print

aesthetic rather than doing anything that was too manipulated.”

Indeed, before principal photography, Poole had created a custom film print emulation LUT to be used for dailies, which he also applied in the final grade. Poole says the film print LUT led to “a slightly warmer, less luminous white point, and a more restricted color palette. But there’s beauty in that restriction.” During the DI process, Lloyd ventured out to Poole’s custom grading suite, nestled in the woods of Long Island, and the two worked together over two weeks to refine the grade. Lloyd praises Poole’s artistry. “It very much felt like watching a master painter work,” he recounts.

Poole says the film was “beautifully exposed, so I stayed true to the negative and focused on bringing out what was naturally there while making sure there was a harmony between the locations. The final look has all the grain and character we associate with our nostalgia for film, with a grade that emphasized the reds and slightly raised black level, emulating a little bit of a flash, like a lowcontrast print look to feel the texture of the film in the low end,” he notes.

Lloyd’s role was so integral to Origin that he also received co-executive producer credit.

Reflecting on the once-in-a-career experience, Lloyd says his part was “a testament to the fact that it was absolutely necessary for this film to be made the way Ava intended, and to fully support her vision. I whole-heartedly

believe the role of cinematography is to serve a director’s vision in the most impactful way possible at all times.”

Bringing Lloyd in early on also paid dividends in realizing DuVernay’s vision; the longtime ICG member’s experience was key to making a global undertaking possible on an indie budget. Lloyd helped solve complex problems such as processing international film logistics and running screening rooms in hotels for traveling dailies, all while working closely with DuVernay’s producing partner Paul Garnes. [ICG Magazine June/July 2019] “Looking at the images together in the dark, projected on a screen, was an amazing experience and so informative to the work that was being done,” Lloyd continues.

“Being able to use that as a gauge every day to be reinvigorated to go back to work was a real blessing.” Edsall adds, “Ava was initially hesitant about not seeing what was being shot in the quality she was used to, but I told her that’s what makes it interesting. The disconnect you have from when we shoot the image to when we see the dailies allows you to distance yourself, so you have fresh eyes on it.

The dailies are like the first time you’re seeing the footage, and Ava loved that process.”

Upon seeing the final film for the first time, Lloyd recalls feeling “like I was hit by a train.

It was a spiritual experience,” he concludes.

“Truly, it was the greatest honor of my life to be a part of this.”

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LOCAL 600 CREW Director of Photography Matthew J. Lloyd, ASC A-Camera Operator/ 2nd Unit DP Micheal “Cambio” Fernandez A-Camera 1st ACs David “Cobra” Edsall Justin “Magic” Noel A-Camera 2nd ACs Alex “Hoop” Hooper Shaina Walker Loader Trent Walker Utility Terrel Scott Libra Head Tech Sebastian Lumme Still Photographer Atsushi Nishijima Additional Still Photographer Curtis Baker 36

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OF DUVERNAY’S GOAL TO SUBVERT TRADITIONAL CASTE HEIRACHIES ON SET, LLOYD SAYS THAT, “IT FELT LIKE WE WERE A UNITED GROUP OF PEOPLE EVENLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE SAME CAUSE WITHOUT SOME PEOPLE BEING MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS.”

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TRUTH In Ahsoka, Eric Steelberg, ASC, and Quyen Tran, ASC, help visualize the world of one of Star Wars’ most intriguing characters.

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& LEGEND

BY KEVIN H. MARTIN

PHOTOS BY NICOLA GOODE , SMPSP & SUZANNE TENNER / DISNEY+ FRAMEGRABS COURTESY OF DISNEY+

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While George Lucas is the undisputed creator and emperor of the Star Wars universe, the acclaimed filmmaker and cinema innovator may well have had an eye on the future of the franchise – and how it might one day proceed without his primary input – when, in 2005, he hired Dave Filoni, a former storyboard artist and animation director.

Lucas brought Filoni into the ILM universe to help flesh-out concepts for the first Star Wars animated TV series, which ultimately led to Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

Filoni then rose to become a strong creative force not just on Lucasfilm’s animated projects but also with the company’s live-action episodics, including The Mandalorian [ICG Magazine February/March 2020] and the follow-up series, The Book of Boba Fett.

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ERIC STEELBERG, ASC / PHOTO BY NICOLA GOODE, SMPSP

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n Disney+’s latest Star Wars episodic, Filoni brings a character he developed, Ahsoka Tano – a disillusioned former Jedi who, as the padawan of Anakin Skywalker, ultimately crossed light sabers with the Empire’s worst of the worst – from animation to live-action, with Rosario Dawson in the role originally voiced by Ashley Eckstein.

In Ahsoka, the titular character embarks on a galaxyhopping search for her missing friend, Ezra Bridger – and her most lethal enemy, Grand Admiral Thrawn – all with devastating (and long-lasting) consequences for the future of the entire Star Wars franchise.

“Star Wars began as a live-action film,” Filoni describes, “so characters like Anakin, Obi Wan, and Clones in the animated series were based on their live action counterparts. But, of course, there never was a live-action Ahsoka, Sabine, Ezra, Hera [or most of the main characters] in this series, so instead of looking at the animated versions as the beginning point, we thought of them as the result of stylizing something that always existed in live action. Thinking this way helps inform why some things in the animation designs are simplified, and how they could be more complex and detailed in live action. Choices that were the result of a limitation in one medium became an opportunity in another.”

Because Filoni’s background is as an animation storyboard artist, he “loves to do many illustrations of the story” he’s writing. “Early on,” he shares, “I will have a very clear idea of what things will look like, how they could be composed and orchestrated. If I am not directing the episode I will have a meeting with everyone and white board what I am thinking as I read the script to the episodic director and the team. That way we can question and correct things, and bring new ideas in before we are on set.”

With The Mandalorian and Boba Fett, Filoni had developed a significant roster of directors – in addition to himself, three of them – Rick Famuyiwa, Steph Green, and Peter Ramsey – would also helm installments of Ahsoka, along with newcomers Geeta Vasant Patel and Jennifer Getzinger. Cinematography assignments were divided up between Eric Steelberg, ASC, and Quyen Tran, ASC. Though Tran was a newcomer to this far-away galaxy, Steelberg had done some additional photography for The Mandalorian. He says he came on only knowing “that I’d be shooting the first episode with Dave. Beyond that, it was all still up in the air. I started prep a handful of months ahead of Quyen, who was on

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QUYEN TRAN, ASC / PHOTO BY NICOLA GOODE, SMPSP

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ABOVE/BELOW: ASIDE FROM LEADING EDGE VOLUME WORK, AHSOKA ALSO FEATURES CANON-TYPE VFX OFTEN SEEN IN MANY STAR WARS ADVENTURES, INCLUDING HOLOGRAMS, LIGHTSABERS, AND BLASTER-GUN EFFECTS. “A LOT OF THESE INTERACTIVES ARE DIALED IN ON THE DAY DURING SHOOTING,” STEELBERG SAYS. “YOU GO BY EYE AND FEEL HOW THOSE ASPECTS ARE SET UP AND BALANCED.”

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another movie, and that’s probably why I also got episode two, which Q and I share credit on.”

The main focus of Filoni’s extensive prep was artistic in nature. “It was a pleasant surprise to find that most of our discussion was about aesthetics rather than nuts and bolts,” Steelberg continues. “Dave and I began with Kurosawa movies, which were the genesis for the Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars animated series. We had a shared love for the original trilogy and wanted to maintain that feel in the storytelling of Ahsoka; that original recipe for the first films got brought up daily.”

The Kurosawa approach also contributed to a look that was somewhat at odds with contemporary expectations. “The flavor of cinematography today seems to be on keeping things tighter,” Steelberg offers.

“But we leaned back into the way Lucas and his cinematographers shot the first trilogy, which was leaving things wide, and very choreographed camera work through moving and developing masters. Even the close-ups on those films weren’t shot with telephoto lenses, which is great because you can keep that wider field of view behind the actors. We did a lot of that, especially inside the ships.

“I think a lot of filmmakers who reference the look of films made in the 1970s and early 1980s do so because the need to be specific with light produced beautiful results,” Steelberg notes. “You didn’t get any exposure for free.

Slower anamorphic lenses gave a look that is very different from the norm these days, where there is a tendency to take advantage of being able to see more under natural conditions. We tried to lean toward that old style of lighting, or at least a hybrid approach that also took advantage of the free light from the Volume.”

Working out technical parameters, while important, did not immediately impact Filoni’s artistic vision. “My impression was that since we didn’t want the technical to drive the way we told this story, it shouldn’t be included in the initial thrust,” Steelberg explains. “We knew that it would all get figured out eventually, so determining the tools wasn’t an immediate concern. We were fortunate enough to visit the Season 3 set of The Mandalorian during prep and get to observe and ask questions of the crew who had been doing this – those who had invented it, plus the guys who ran the Volume.

We got a very keen understanding about which parts we could lean into and which kinds of shots to stay away from. Then we were very fortunate to have this very experienced Mandalorian crew available for our shoot after they had wrapped. Quyen and I couldn’t have been in a better position in terms of support.”

For Quyen Tran, whose past work in indie features and series has mostly utilized a contemporary setting, Ahsoka was a fresh

challenge. “When I initially interviewed with Dave, it was more of a getting-to-know-you kind of meet than a discussion of my past work,” Tran reports. “Then David Klein [ASC] brought me in on The Mandalorian to get me familiar with the Volume workflow. It’s a steep learning curve, and it was essential to get that exposure before starting Ahsoka. During this time, I learned of Dave’s vision for how the cockpit sequences and the Clone Wars [flashback] scenes would look. So, I could test approaches and show Dave dailies to get his sign-off, which helped things run smoothly on the day.”

Steelberg’s approach was to treat the Volume like a location shoot. “You’re not throwing out anything you’ve previously learned as a cinematographer,” he declares.

“If anything, you’re adding to the traditional cinematography toolset. You may have to modify your approach, but that’d be true when you find yourself in a church cathedral; there’d be limitations about where you could put your lights that dictated your approach.

“I found the basic rule for shooting in the Volume is to avoid direct overhead sunlight,” he continues, “because you can’t ever get the source far enough back to be convincing across the full field of view; it just winds up as top light for the middle of the frame.” The decision to use wider lenses did impact the tech aspect. “When shooting wider than normal in the Volume, it meant more cleanup was required,” Steelberg

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states. “Plus, it is harder on the computers for rendering when you show that much more or the camera starts panning, all of which causes you to start losing frame rate.”

Another benefit of the extended prep was the cinematographers’ involvement with every decision on set-building. “With ship sets, jailhouse interiors, even forests, we worked with conceptual artists to develop lighting ideas and then help figure out the best way to build sets that took advantage of the lighting we could implement,” Steelberg reports. “That also extended to work with the virtual environment team after previsualizing everything; it does us no good if the lighting approach for the virtual aspect can’t be recreated practically. That’s the real advantage of being able to consult a DP during the early stages.”

Tran recalls frequent set walkthroughs and meetings with Production Designer Andrew J. Jones. “He was very good about meeting dual needs: to echo the design established in the animated series as well as making sure it all looked functional,” she describes.

For A-Camera 1st AC Dominik Mainl, prepping the camera package for Ahsoka essentially started way back when The Book of Boba Fett wrapped. “Unhappy with the number of lenses at our disposal, David Klein [ASC] and I extensively tested all the anamorphic glass we could find,” Mainl reveals. “The Volume opens up a different level of creativity, but you have to understand its technical limitations, as not

“ALL OF US WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW SEASONS HAVE FORMED CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS, NOT JUST WITH OTHER CREW MEMBERS BUT ALSO WITH THE CREATIVE TEAM.” A-CAMERA 1ST AC DOMINIK MAINL

every lens performs as expected surrounded by an LED wall. Moiré, we learned, is a formidable foe. We found the lenses best suited for this are Caldwell Chameleons.”

Mainl recalls testing both the Standard Coverage (SC) and Extended Coverage (XC) Chameleons, “the latter covering large-format requirements,” he adds. “At some point, we decided to put an SC lens on a large-format sensor and were surprised to find out that SC lenses 50 mm and up covered the entire LF sensor. The quality was great, and we gained a stop and a half over the XC version. The expected focus fall-off made the glass that much more attractive. Longtime collaborator Otto Nemenz found us four full sets in time for Season 3 of Mando, so we finally had enough glass for six to eight cameras to shoot with two full-time units simultaneously, something we struggled with previously. After doing their due diligence, Eric and Q found the Chameleons to be a great fit and utilized our entire camera package for a seamless transition. That was a huge advantage as camera prep for any Star Wars show is a lot more time-intensive than traditional shoots.”

Steelberg says the 1.8× anamorphic Chameleons offered another benefit. “They don’t have as many of the aesthetic anomalies that people working in anamorphic are used to seeing, which makes them great for VFX,” he shares. “They’re clean, low-distortion glass, with not much barrel distortion or compression and no out-of-focus bands on the top and bottom of the frame. A lot of Volume testing revolves around seeing how close you can get to the screen without getting moiré. The Caldwells let us get as close to the screen as possible, so the focus fall-off became sharper. Other lenses feature a gentler fall-off, and when shooting close, the screen would remain in sharp focus, and the moiré becomes more of an issue.”

Previsualization is the key to any Volumeheavy series since detailed information about the backgrounds must be locked in well before shooting. Tran says the previs afforded three separate cracks at each scene. “The first go happens when we are mocapping,” she relates.

“For Episode 5’s mocap, Dave and I acted out the Anakin/Young Ahsoka scenes ourselves, to get blocking nailed down early. Then the second chance happens at [previsualization facility] The Third Floor, where the DP’s have a virtual window into the scene through an iPad, allowing us to manipulate the virtual world in real time. This technology enabled us to do push-ins, change focal lengths, and try out other camera moves completely untethered.

The third chance was on set on the day with the real actors.”

For Tran, reading the script for Episode 5 was an eye-opener, as much of the action takes place in a surrealistic arena known from

the animated series as the “World Between Worlds,” a realm of unlimited possibilities and dangers. “Translating that from animation to live-action was thrilling, but highly stressful,” Tran smiles. “I began by testing a physical platform where the action would be staged to see how light could pass up through it, and figure out how we could achieve camera angles set below that level to show exactly how this bridge exists in space. That discovery process was what led us to realize it couldn’t be done using the Volume without great compromise.

Shooting from beneath would have placed our actors too near the ceiling, which wouldn’t have worked given the issues with LED screens. So, we elected to build this on a traditional stage.”

Bypassing the Volume also facilitated the multi-camera approach. “We could shoot cross-coverage,” Tran adds, “which allowed us to preserve the performances of our two actors [Dawson and Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin Skywalker] using three Technocranes.

Hayden is the best of all time with a lightsaber and wanted to perform his own stunts, so getting both sides of the combat was a big advantage because he didn’t need to repeat all that action a second time, when we shot Rosario’s side of the battle – that would have burned him out.”

Tran says using multiple cameras also “let us preserve the continuity of emotions that play out with these performers during the scene.

Working closely with Chief Lighting Technician Jeff Webster and [Key Rigging Grip] Bud Scott, we landed on the idea of using a grating for the platform that let us light from below with SkyPanels and Magic Cloth. That created the platform’s glow; then, along the rim, we had three light strips that were controlled on the dimmer board. All that source lighting let us shoot the action practically, and it permitted cross-coverage.”

Episode 5 also includes a huge battle flashback featuring younger versions of Ahsoka and Anakin. “That called for a lot of color and was dreamy and something new in look.

Dave and I referenced Kurosawa’s Kagemusha, striving for heavy saturation and silhouettes.”

Tran recounts. “Again, previs helped bring all the elements together, and The Third Floor’s work looked beautiful enough to have aired. It added another level to my job because I had to figure out how to make the real thing look that good!”

Filoni says he wanted “a similar sense of color and surrealism,” as seen in the images from Kagemusha’s nighttime battle. “The silhouettes of the clones moving in a fog of memory,” he adds. “Q and I got together with the previz team and we staged [all of episode 5] together so it was all realized before we ever got to the stage. We both felt that because it was such an abstract episode, we wanted to be certain of the images and their impact when we went to capture them.”

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EPISODE 5 INCLUDES A HUGE BATTLE FLASHBACK FEATURING YOUNGER VERSIONS OF AHSOKA AND ANAKIN, THAT CALLED FOR “A LOT OF COLOR AND WAS DREAMY AND SOMETHING NEW IN LOOK,” TRAN DESCRIBES. “DAVE FILONI AND I REFERENCED KUROSAWA’S KAGEMUSHA, STRIVING FOR HEAVY SATURATION AND SILHOUETTES.”

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The “World Between Worlds” episodes also features extensive lightsaber fighting between Anakin and Ahsoka, scenes that B-Camera Operator Chris Murphy lists as those he most enjoyed filming. “The simple lighting from clashing swords is majestic and extremely effective,” Murphy describes. “Not only because of the illumination but also the powerful contrast of colors that reflect the characters who wield them. Eric and Quyen brought a creative focus that can be seen in every episode, so my job was to help them sustain that as best I could while working alongside A-Camera Operator Simon Jayes [SOC].”

Mainl relates how “all of us who have been around [the Star Wars episodics] for a few seasons have formed close working relationships, not just with other crew members but also with the creative team. That tends to improve communication and leads to efficiency,” he states. “Familiarity is also key, not just with each other, but with the technology.

Simon and I worked together on many projects before Mando, and I’m always thrilled to work with my good friend and Steadicam operator, John Joyce, who has an equally important role as A-Camera on the tandem unit, which uses the same equipment. The crew jumps from main to tandem based on scheduling needs.

If a certain scene has re-shoots or additional days scheduled, the unit that shot the original portion usually finishes the sequence.”

Murphy recalls that most leapfrogging during shooting took place during Volume shoots. “It was always difficult to shoot with two cameras in there unless they were very close together and looking in the same direction, due to the LED walls,” he explains. “Many times, we would set up two cameras, then mark the spot and pull B-Camera out. We’d shoot with the

A-Camera knowing that we’re ready with the other shot right after we got the first, which maximized all the Volume had to offer and what it was designed to do in the first place.”

Ahsoka also includes canon-type VFX often seen in many Star Wars adventures, including holograms, light sabers, and blaster-gun effects. “A lot of these interactives are dialed in on the day during shooting,” Steelberg says.

“You go by eye and feel how those aspects are set up and balanced. You don’t want to mess with signature looks, but Jeff Webster had come off other Volume shows and had many ideas about how existing approaches could be refined or improved. In the spaceship cockpits, you’d deal with blaster fire going past the windows or the light coming in through the mouth of the space whale.”

Tran shot a war room sequence aboard the Home One craft that featured numerous holograms. “We shot lots of plates of these five senators in the actual space with the actors performing to one another,” she explains.

“That’s as important to Dave as the performers – being able to see and interact with the other cast members is such a gain as opposed to just acting to a dot on the end of a C-stand. But since the senators are supposed to be on Coruscant, and to convey that they are in a different physical space, I used hard light to suggest they are in sunlight on that planet. We’d shoot the plate with normal war-room lighting, and then combine that with the shot of the actors with their distinctive key light.” Most lighting was accomplished using LED’s. “Exceptions include using HMI’s as our big guns, plus ArriMax for sunlight in Sabine’s tower and when Ahsoka gets ‘reborn,’” Tran adds. “We had shutters on the Maxes to convey the sun breaking through the clouds.”

Some experimentation was required to achieve the moving key-light effect for cockpit scenes involving space battles. Steelberg recalls various approaches that ranged from chasing LED’s to reflecting a light into a mirror. While a lighting rig called ‘the rainbow’ had been used on The Mandalorian for cockpit shots, Tran’s tests suggested it would not provide a hard enough source for the sun.

“I actually went back to camera reports for A New Hope and studied the anamorphic lensing as well as the motion of the camera during the cockpit and gun port shots,” Tran reveals. “I found the camera would either be isolated away from the cockpit or hardmounted on it. Since the ships were supposed to be in motion, the sun would need to arc around the cockpit during each shot. Due to size and weight, we couldn’t gimbal the cockpit, so I suggested putting a hard light on a crane and seeing how fast we could move it. Using a Techno with a Q10 got us the desired speed, motion and brightness, plus special effects put the cockpit on airbags for a supplemental sense of movement.

“One of the hardest challenges to bring to fruition was shooting in that cockpit,” she adds, “because things are just so tight. I wanted to know if we could lower the dashboard a little, maybe six inches, because otherwise we’d be limited to camera angles that were looking down at our actors all the time. Logistics of being able to accommodate the hoodmount views as well as the floating camera configuration were affected by how easily the crew could take the set apart. The other aspect was sneaking a camera in behind the actor to get those POV angles looking out of the cockpit, a view well-established in the films.

[ILM VFX Supervisor] Richard [Bluff ] offered

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PHOTO BY NICOLA GOODE, SMPSP

“THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE SAID THE VOLUME CAN TIE YOUR HANDS,” STEELBERG STATES, “BUT I DON’T SEE IT THAT WAY AT ALL. THE VOLUME HAS ALLOWED SOME BEAUTIFUL CINEMATOGRAPHY WHILE MAINTAINING THE STAR WARS SCOPE.”

to manufacture those backgrounds in post, but I figured, ‘We’re here, let’s shoot it.’ Even if the volume view didn’t wind up being used, we’d still have the moving key-light practical aspect baked into our part of the shot, and it was a great lighting reference for the way light bounced around the cockpit.”

Company 3 senior supervising finishing artist Jill Bogdanowicz oversaw the DI. Steelberg says they “started the DI with our CDL’s and show LUT as reference. So, the DI was largely focused on keeping skin tones consistent, particularly with alien characters who have unique coloration. Since prosthetics can shift into different hues in the Volume, we had to bring that back into line. There were a few times when I thought we might shift looks a bit further from what we had gotten on stage, but Dave loved it as it was, so we let things be. That was refreshing, because I’ve been in situations where people have looked at the cut for so long that they want to essentially re-light the project.”

Each episode received two passes in the color grade and then another with VFX. “There were SDR and HDR passes, which is always great,” Tran recounts. “Even though we all have different ways of viewing and interpreting contrast and saturation, Dave and I were

aligned on color. When I pulled up my screen grabs for Episode 5, the DI came in so close that it looked like all that was done was a bit of contrast tweaking. That highlights show the work in prep paid off. I prefer getting it all incamera for the director on the day and we did that – to a surprising degree – throughout this series.”

“I know there are those who have said the Volume can tie your hands,” Steelberg concludes, “but I don’t see it that way at all.

The Volume has allowed some beautiful cinematography while maintaining the Star Wars scope. I honestly don’t see how Mando, Boba Fett, or Ahsoka would ever have been possible without this kind of innovation. You could never have gone on all these locations for a price, which meant so much of it would end up being blue screen, which has its limitations, and the cinematography would have suffered.”

“Right from the very start, what I found unusual – and effective – was being able to talk with Richard Bluff at ILM,” Tran concludes.

“And it was nice that Eric and I were then able to continue that conversation with him well into post. I felt that collaboration helped us both to elevate the look of things while also retaining integrity with the established Star Wars look.”

Filoni says both Tran and Steelberg are “incredibly talented at being able to carry a sense of emotion throughout their lighting and compositions. They understood that we wanted to create a series that had ties to the films that Star Wars was based on even more than Star Wars itself. I think all three of us wanted to capture the sense of adventure and excitement that drew us into this medium when we were young. As cinematographers, they see things in a way that is unique to each of them. But I believe it was the things that the three of us had in common, [and] the way we wanted to tell this story, that drew us all together.

“The foundation of the Star Wars Galaxy will always be the six films George Lucas created,” Filoni concludes. “If you watch those you will understand much. If you watch THX 1138 and American Graffiti you will understand more. When you explore further and experience the works of Kurosawa, John Ford, and the cinema that inspired George Lucas as a filmmaker, you will take those first steps into a larger world of possibilities. I’m basically here to guide people, while also getting the benefit of learning from some truly great talents in our industry. We all want to tell a great story, and Lucasfilm is there to help support and guide filmmakers on that journey.”

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FILONI SAYS BOTH TRAN (ABOVE) AND STEELBERG ARE “INCREDIBLY TALENTED AT BEING ABLE TO CARRY A SENSE OF EMOTION THROUGHOUT THEIR LIGHTING AND COMPOSITIONS. THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WANTED TO CREATE A SERIES THAT HAD TIES TO THE FILMS THAT STAR WARS WAS BASED ON EVEN MORE THAN STAR WARS ITSELF. “ / PHOTO BY SUZANNE TENNER

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LOCAL 600 CREW Directors of Photography Eric Steelberg, ASC Quyen Tran, ASC Paul Hughen, ASC A-Camera Operator/Steadicam Simon Jayes, SOC A-Camera 1st AC Dominik Mainl A-Camera 2nd AC Jeremy Cannon B-Camera Operator Chris Murphy B-Camera 1st AC Josh Greer B-Camera 2nd AC Bianca Brennan C-Camera Operator Jesse Feldman C-Camera 1st AC Joe Segura C-Camera 2nd AC Jordan Cramer DIT Michael “Strawberry” Romano Loader Derek Ashbaugh Digital Utility Christian Hidalgo

TANDEM UNIT A-Camera Operator/Steadicam John Joyce, SOC A-Camera 1st AC John Woodward A-Camera 2nd AC Richard Dabbs B-Camera Operators Em Michelle Gonzales Danny Brown B-Camera 1st AC Ken Tanaka B-Camera 2nd AC Renni Pollock C-Camera Operator Janice Min C-Camera 1st AC Brian Wells C-Camera 2nd AC Raj Penta DIT Nina Chadha Loader Zach Madden Digital Utility Erin Douglas Still Photographers Suzanne Tenner, SMPSP Nicola Goode, SMPSP Publicist Gregg Brilliant

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SCARY The indie horror genre has had a glorious (and gory) history in Park City; we caught up with some of the ICG DP’s whose work premiered…after midnight.

BY KEVIN MARTIN

MOVIES

AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000) SHOT BY ANDRZEJ SEKULA / PHOTO BY KERRY HAYES/ LIONSGATE FILMS

SAW (2004) SHOT BY DAVID ARMSTRONG / PHOTO BY GREG GAYNE LIONSGATE FILMS

THE WITCH (2015) SHOT BY JARIN BLASCHKE / COURTESY OF A24

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While the Sundance Festival, and its original incarnation as the Utah/US Film Festival, are best known for bringing innovative new filmmakers into the limelight, a certain niche genre has, over the past three-plus decades, made its name at Sundance – the indie horror film. Sundance inaugurated its “Midnight” category in 1991, and in the ensuing years the films in this section have aggressively pushed boundaries – both in genre and good taste – while pioneering cinematic innovation. Examples stretch back to 1992 with Director Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive, which mixed horror with black comedy, and perhaps the most influential indie horror hit of all time, 1999’s The Blair Witch Project, co-directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez and shot by Neal Fredericks (who sadly died in a plane crash a few years later). Most everyone agrees that The Blair Witch Project revolutionized and reinvigorated the horror genre. The shot-on-16mm saga of three student filmmakers, and how their night in the woods goes terrifyingly awry, pretty much pioneered the “found footage” sub-genre that has subsequently prospered in its wake.

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ome of Sundance’s Midnight section’s greatest finds have been films as diverse as Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook and Panos Cosmatos’s Mandy, while many other favorites have screened in other sections of the festival, including Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Robert Eggers’s The Witch. Creative innovation in the Midnight horror entries continued to soar with the advent of digital acquisition, with Guild cinematographers taking advantage of both traditional seat-of-the-pants in-camera solutions as well as the range of possibilities enabled by new digital technology. Creative business partners have aided in expanding filming possibilities through relationships with the filmmakers, allowing them access at reasonable rates to state-of-the-art tools that also raise production value.

Take 2018’s Hereditary, for which Director of Photography Pawel Pogorzelski benefitted enormously from his collaboration with Panavision. “When I met the director a decade earlier, we discussed his idea for the film but didn’t nail-down specifics, just knowing we wanted to go very dark,” Pogorzelski recalls. “And we definitely did go there.

In our third act, you have to squint your eyes to even find these figures in the darkness. Special lenses were a big part of our look, and I was able to achieve that only because of this relationship with Panavision. They had a lot of unusual lenses in-house that we used for specific functions after playing around with them during prep.”

That was especially important given the presence of scale models built by the protagonist and the way they would be photographed. “We had a special Frazier lens shooting a deep stop on the miniature,” Pogorzelski continues, “but we also played with variation on shooting the live-action with

a depth of field that sometimes would make it look like a miniature.

“Even on a low-budget film, you can establish good relationships with major vendors and benefit from that association,” he adds. “With good planning, you can know exactly when you will need a specific lens or tool, and I’ve found that [established vendors] can be very accommodating. Back when I didn’t have any money, Panavision would give me gear for great prices, and that kindness is a big part of why they have kept me as a client today. Students should always seek out big vendors because they can and often will help make a huge difference in achieving your visual needs.”

Moving to digital acquisition also helped innovate new ways to shoot indie horror. While Kevin Smith’s Red State generated mixed notices when it premiered in 2011, it may ultimately fall into an “ahead of its time” niche. “Red State was my second digitally originated film,” recounts David Klein, ASC. “RED was eager to give us the EPIC, but these were still early days and all available bodies were on The Social Network. So, after photographing tests to ensure compatibility, we decided on a RED ONE with Mysterium sensor and a Canon 7D, PL mount, both fronted by Cooke S4 glass. With the help of our DI colorist Dave Cole, we could mix and match these systems quite well.”

The camera and lens choices were made to, as Klein describes “serve the story being told, a dark tale that was visceral and brutal. From the moment Kevin and I started talking about the look, we knew in our gut that it needed to be – with limited exceptions – entirely handheld,” he adds. “We needed a camera platform that, when put on the shoulder, could be in the actor’s face and stay with them as they experienced their gnarly trip. These little tricks and trims allowed us to put that machine where it needed to be, move it as fast and as effortlessly as was necessary and tell the story.”

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GENRE EXAMPLES AT SUNDANCE STRETCH BACK TO 1992 WITH DIRECTOR PETER JACKSON’S DEAD ALIVE , WHICH MIXED HORROR WITH BLACK COMEDY, AND PERHAPS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL INDIE HORROR HIT OF ALL TIME, 1999’S THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT , CO-DIRECTED BY DANIEL MYRICK AND EDUARDO SÁNCHEZ AND SHOT BY NEAL FREDERICKS. ABOVE: THE RAMBLER (2013) SHOT BY DAVID MCFARLAND / COURTESY OF XYZ FILMS BELOW: A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT (2014) SHOT BY LYLE VINCENT / COURTESY OF KINO LORBER. OPPOSITE: NANNY (2022) SHOT BY RINA YANG / COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS

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Finding the best way to facilitate the handheld approach often fell to 1st AC Mary Funsten. “All credit should go to Mary, who was the main designer for what ultimately sat on my shoulder every day of the shoot,” Klein shares. “Her ideas shaved off half the weight, taking ancillary tech off the camera body and putting it in a backpack I could wear, or carried by our dolly grip or 2nd AC, all to keep that machine as lightweight and balanced as possible. There was a two-meter umbilical to the backpack, which held the brains for the Preston, the video transmitters and the batteries.”

Since economics always impact any film at Sundance, the decision to shoot digitally also changed how indie horror movies were (and are) lit. Director of Photography Byron Werner found his work on the contemporary L.A. horror flick Reversal (released in 2015 as Bound To Vengeance) enhanced by shooting with the ALEXA Classic in 2K and capturing with ISO settings that ranged from 800 up to 1600. “The movie was made for under two million dollars,” Werner recalls, “and with that budget, I don’t think I would have attempted the night exterior lighting style we used if we had shot on film. The high ISO, combined with the ‘what you see is what you get’ digital image with the ALEXA, made this possible. I relied on the technology every day to know that what I

shot was working.”

Werner often used PAR cans gelled to match the sodium vapor streetlights of Los Angeles. “The art department rented two prop streetlights as well,” he adds, “and we were able to put the 1K cans in the distance while using this pair in the foreground. Mixed with small key lights near the camera and car headlights, we shot what I still think are good night exteriors, but without the traditional tools. I had wanted Condors and scissor lifts or lighting balloons, but the budget was too low and the schedule was too fast.”

This improvisatory approach helped create a sense of verisimilitude that grounded the horrific aspects of the movie. “In the end, I believe this out-of-necessity workflow forced us to create something that looked real, rather than a movie version of large moonlight or fake backlight,” Werner states. “We also shot some sequences at or over 96 frames per second.

Doing that on film would have been impossible, owing to both the cost and the additional camera needed for high-speed photography.”

Creative inspirations for some Sundance fright fests have antecedents dating back as far as F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu, while other more contemporary horror influences are in play, including the bevy of made-for-TV movies from the 1970s. Those were made up of a large number of lean, mean (and downright weird) horror films, including Black Noon, a folk-horror western that preceded

The Wicker Man by several years, and the Nielsen-smashing The Night Stalker, which spawned both a sequel telefilm and a TV series.

According to Guild DP David McFarland, who shot the 2013 Sundance premiere The Rambler, the TV movie influence was part of what director Calvin Lee Reeder grew up watching, long before making his (way) out-of-the-box horror western.

“We didn’t talk about those TV movies in particular, but that was definitely part of his experience,” McFarland recalls. “We did talk a lot about Nicolas Roeg as well as Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas, in which Robby Mueller’s amazing cinematography employs a lot of color theory that I utilized on The Rambler. The photography was based on the idea of the camera being a passenger on a kind of journey with this unnamed man recently released from prison.

We experience some surreal scenarios that echo aspects of The Odyssey, like when he encounters a siren. Given the horror aspect, we leaned into the idea of showing audiences visuals that were a bit different than expected.”

McFarland says a film like The Rambler required a quick and nimble approach, “but we had a great local team, a strong AD and a director I admired, so my caution about the limitations was overcome during our initial conversation,” he continues. “I find that solving questions about how we will move as a unit needs to be dealt with upfront, since determining what resources we have access

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HEREDITARY (2018) SHOT BY PAWEL POGORZELSKI / COURTESY OF A24

to feeds into how the actors work. The DP has to acknowledge that responsibility early on, because the last thing I want to do is impede a performance with equipment an actor has to step over.”

Shooting with the ALEXA was instrumental for both McFarland and his director. “This was our first digital feature, not long after Tom Siegel shot Drive, so we felt safe with the ALEXA,” McFarland shares. “We took advantage of the higher 800 ISO in tandem with SuperSpeed lenses – being able to go beyond the capabilities of Kodak Vision film stocks we were used to helped us along – since this was a road picture, we were going to need to be nimble with respect to the footprint left by our crew and how fast we had to move.”

The Rambler also marked McFarland’s first heavy-duty investment into LED’s.

“We had practical driving mixed with poor man’s process, sometimes in the same scene.

I got a lot of help from Gaffer Theo Bott, who had worked with Greig Fraser in New Orleans on Killing Them Softly. Greig is a pioneer in this technology and has built LED units that predate LiteMats and Asteras. As I had been a set electric and gaffed a lot of projects before becoming a DP, lighting is a particular focus, and I was used to building my own fixtures.

Except for some HMI’s on Condors used for night exteriors, it was mainly all homemade RGB LED’s. I also got taught a great trick by

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DP Jim Denault, showing me how to build a tiny light out of foam core that was like a twobank tungsten porcelain-socket screw-base photoflood lamp. This looked like two 1-by-1 cubes joined together, and it was lightweight enough to be velcroed onto ceilings. I lit a lot of faces that way, using a dimmer.”

McFarland says The Rambler was a turning point in his approach to using practicals. “I had motivating sources in the frame, but I’m always jealous and curious about DP’s who shoot interiors with only practicals. Bradford Young’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and the Leon Bridges videos that Chayse Irvin shot were all lit in an underexposed way with practicals and look great. I got my guts up since The Rambler and have learned more about how to do it, but at the time I did more in the way of augmenting off-camera. I would dim down a tungsten source and then put one of the aforementioned box lights above the actor or as a side light. Sometimes your most interesting discoveries come about when you are forced to make decisions due to a lack of time to consider options. The Rambler shaped and bolstered that sensibility for me.”

Environment has always been a factor in any horror film, be it the Overlook Hotel in Kubrick’s The Shining or the scaled-down models in the aforementioned Hereditary. With 2020’s The

Night House, the story takes place in the home of a recently deceased architect. Among other inexplicable goings-on, his widow experiences a supernatural presence that she mistakes for her husband. Guild Director of Photography Elisha Christian recalls agreeing with director David Bruckner about the need to create as much of this entity in camera as possible. “We nicknamed him ‘Negative Space Man’ [owing to his vague appearance],” Christian explains. “I believe there were six instances where he made an appearance, and they would occur on both practical and stage locations.”

The interdepartmental approach for realizing this vague (but scary) presence on The Night House was aided by Patrick Horvath, a filmmaker and graphic novelist with whom Bruckner had previously worked. “Patrick was brought onboard in prep as the entity effects designer,” Christian adds. “We weren’t going to have nearly enough time in production to devote to these critical moments, so Patrick was essential in creating these complex figures.

He worked closely with Production Designer Kathrin Eder and Art Director Joshua Dobkin to use both set and decoration to help create the [human] shapes.

“He was ahead of the main unit, using a still camera and makeshift items, including foam core that he would shape and position, then work with the art department as well as grip and lighting,” Christian continues. “David,

AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000) SHOT BY ANDRZEJ SEKULA / PHOTO BY KERRY HAYES/ LIONSGATE FILMS

“I’VE HAD FILMS IN OTHER CATEGORIES AT SUNDANCE, BUT MIDNIGHT IS DEFINITELY THE MOST FUN. YOUR AFTERPARTY STARTS AROUND 3 A.M., AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, THERE IS NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT IN PARK CITY.” DAVID MCFARLAND

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THE RAMBLER (2013) SHOT BY DAVID MCFARLAND / COURTESY OF XYZ FILMS

THE NIGHT HOUSE (2020) SHOT BY ELISHA CHRISTIAN / COURTESY OF SEARCHLIGHT FILMS

N UA RYAT 20NIGHT 24 68WALKS HOME JA A GIRL ALONE (2014) SHOT BY LYLE VINCENT / COURTESY OF KINO LORBER

“DP’S ARE THE SILENCE BETWEEN THE NOTES, AND EVERYTHING WE DO WITH OUR TECH – BE IT NEW SCHOOL, OLD SCHOOL OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH – IS IRRELEVANT IF IT DOESN’T HELP US TELL THE STORY.” DAVID KLEIN, ASC ( RED STATE - 2011)

Producer Keith Levine and I would give notes so that by the time we shot, the reveal of the figure became a matter of lighting and placing the camera in the right spot. CLT Steven Lundgren, Key Grip Dan Jarrell, and A-Camera Operator James Goldman were all key in pulling it off on set. In the end, the shapes were created practically, with VFX employed to add movement.”

Location also drove a number of visual concerns for DP Paul Ozgur on 2021’s John and the Hole, directed by Pascual Sisto, in which a disturbed young man begins depositing stillliving family members outside his home – and below ground. Ozgur shot in the Academy aspect ratio, so the film frame corresponded roughly to the dimensions of the subterranean trap when viewed from above.

“Originally the director wanted it to be a round hole,” Ozgur states. “But when scouting for a house, we found a place that had architectural geometry that was square, with lots of straight lines, so changing the hole was reinforced by the location. That house also influenced my cinematography. There were these glass panels that let us look into or out from the house, plus frames within the house – door frames, window frames – that impacted how we shot our main character, who is often seen looking out through one of these apertures.”

Ozgur credits a unique visual influence for his take on the character.

“I found a Danish still photographer who took a series of telephoto images – 200- to 300-millimeter zooms – from her apartment or workplace, catching people at work, and they had a voyeuristic Hitchcock/Rear Window feel,” he notes. “There’s an aspect to this film of, ‘How much is really happening? Is it all in his head?’ and so compartmentalizing the compositions through these framing choices

helped to isolate his perspective from that of the other characters. The house reflects how he sees the world, whereas the hole represents the dark side of his internal fears. These are all contrasted with scenes outside the house, which are beyond his comfort zone. The house is kind of like a fishbowl, and once he is away from it, the frames are looser and less controlled because he isn’t in control.”

The DP also relied extensively on sunlight when shooting home interiors.

“We had the whole family at the dining room table in scenes where you are seeing all these windows around them,” Ozgur continues.

“This was Fall, so sunset happened faster. You shoot out the windows first, then turn around and try to keep things from looking lit when you have to augment. When shooting available light, there’s always an issue with producers about how we make up some time. Otherwise, we’d have been having to keep 18K’s all the time,” he admits. “The director and I agreed that if we could save on lighting, that money could go to the art department for building the hole practically, since we couldn’t find a way of doing it on location. After our amazing art department finished that up, we shot those stage scenes, but with exteriors done at a separate time, so getting them to match involved some guesswork as to the weather we’d get and of course the position of the sun.”

The ALEXA was (and still is) Ozgur’s camera of choice. “I bought one to have the camera at my home and to dial-in the look on my own time,” he shares. “Then I readjust things in DaVinci back up to 95 percent of what I wanted. I always ask the DIT’s to make an online folder to share with the director and me, so I can make notes. That makes for a strong carry-through basis. With digital, I’m working hard on getting the shot-onfilm workflow back where my baked-in look

is carried through from rushes to the end of post. The ALEXA has a grain function now, but I’m still finding my sweet spot with that.

I definitely bake it into rushes, with grain too.

But the question remains: What might happen months after I shoot it?”

All of the Guild cinematographers who have worked in indie horror agreed that while technology is an enabling force, its contribution has to be integrated rather than imposed. Or as Klein puts it: “DP’s are the silence between the notes, and everything we do with our tech – be it new school, old school or a combination of both – is irrelevant if it doesn’t help us tell the story.”

And, they all agree, the value of a Sundance launch – in indie horror – cannot be overstated. “I think it is very important to get communication going with the producers up front to see how they envision the whole of the project, from shooting to post, and then through to release,” concludes Ozgur. “Gauging their intention for the finished film is crucial in my opinion. Do they just want to bang it straight out to Netflix, or are they going to try to generate some buzz by going the festival route?

“I’ve been picky lately because I don’t want to be surprised at the end of the line when things aren’t going the way we all envisioned. I feel it’s so important to preserve that Sundance option, because otherwise, everything ends up on a streaming platform and without any special interest to push it to the top. This can also have a real impact on the artistry.”

McFarland concurs, adding with a smile, “I’ve had films in other categories at Sundance, but Midnight is definitely the most fun. Your afterparty starts around 3 a.m., and in my experience, there is nothing else like it in Park City. I just hope that I’ll get another film into Midnight!”

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PRODUCTION CREDITS COMPILED BY TERESA MUÑOZ The input of Local 600 members is of the utmost importance, and we rely on our membership as the prime (and often the only) source of information in compiling this section. In order for us to continue to provide this service, we ask that Guild members submitting information take note of the following requests: Please provide up-to-date and complete crew information (including Still Photographers, Publicists, Additional Units, etc.).

Please note that the deadline for the Production Credits is on the first of the preceding cover month (excluding weekends & holidays).

Submit your jobs online by visiting: www.icg600.com/MY600/Report-Your-Job Any questions regarding the Production Credits should be addressed to Teresa Muñoz at teresa@icgmagazine.com

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JANUARY 2024 PRODUCTION CREDITS

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SUZANNE TENNER AHSOKA

I remember the day I shot this image, as it was filled with atmospheric elements – very hazy with interactive lighting, in addition to the stage floor being entirely covered in sand.

It was an interesting space to shoot in for all of these reasons: minimal but also with a complex mood being set for the scene. Quyen Tran, ASC, created a canvas with lighting and visual choices that suited the Ahsoka story perfectly – as did Eric Steelberg, ASC, for his episodes. I was delighted to feel quite inspired at all times because of the richness of this world. This photograph was between takes, a moment with Quyen in the zone of concentration.

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